Saudi Arabia national cricket team

Saudi Arabia national cricket team
The Saudi Arabia national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Saudi Arabia in international cricket. The Team is organized by the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, which became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003 and associate member in 2016. Saudi Arabia made its international debut at the 2004 ACC Trophy in Malaysia, and has since played regularly in Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments. After finishing second in the 2014 ACC Elite League, the team qualified for the World Cricket League for the first time. Saudi Arabia was due to compete in the 2015 Division Six event, but members of the team were denied visas by the host country, forcing the team to withdraw.
History
The international debut of the Saudi senior team came in the ACC Trophy in 2004, where they failed to progress beyond the first round. They again failed to go past the first round in 2006, but had the remarkable achievement of scoring 499 runs in 50 overs against Brunei. Earlier in the year they came fourth in the Middle East Cup.
Arguably their greatest moment in international cricket to date came in the 2008 ACC Trophy Elite when they defeated the UAE by 29 runs, a team which has had previous One Day International experience.
With the separation of the ACC Trophy into Elite and Challenge divisions, following their performance at the 2006 ACC Trophy Saudi Arabia they competed in the Elite division in the 2008 competition, in which they came 10th. This result relegated them to the 2009 ACC Trophy Challenge, in which they did not appear. They did, however, appear in the 2010 competition, in which they came 2nd and gained promotion back to the Elite division.
Besides the 50 over format, Saudi Arabia have also played in the Twenty20 format of the game in the 2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup, in which they failed to progress beyond the group stage, and the 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup, in which they came 8th.
2018-present
In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Saudi Arabia and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 will be a full T20I.
Saudi Arabia made its Twenty20 International debut on 20 January 2019, losing to Bahrain by 41 runs in the 2019 ACC Western Region T20 at Al Emarat Cricket Stadium, Muscat, Oman.
Saudi Arabia won the 2023 ACC Men's Challenger Cup in Thailand, finishing undefeated to qualify for the 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup in Nepal. The team defeated Bahrain in the tournament final by 10 wickets, after bowling Bahrain out for just 26 runs.
Tournament history
Asia Cup Qualifier
2018: Did not participate
2020: Did not qualify
2023 (ACC Premier Cup): Group Stage
ACC Western Region T20
2019: Winner
2020: Group stage
ACC Trophy
2004: Group stage (3rd in Group B; 4 teams)
2006: 10th place (17 teams)
2008 Elite (ACC Div. 1): 10th place (10 teams)
2010 Challenge (ACC Div. 2): 2nd place (8 teams)
2012 Elite (ACC Div. 1): 9th place (10 teams)
2014 Elite League (ACC Div. 2): 2nd place (6 teams)
ACC Twenty20 Cup
2007: Group stage (4th in Group B; 5 teams)
2009: 8th place (12 teams)
2011: 10th place (10 teams)
2013: Did not qualify
2015: 3rd place (6 teams)
2017: qualified
ACC Men's Challenger Cup
2023: Winner
Coaching history
2021-present: Kabir Khan
Records
International Match Summary — Saudi Arabia
Last updated 5 October 2023
Twenty20 International
Highest team total: 175/7 v. Kuwait on 1 October 2023 at West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha.
Highest individual score: 88*, Shamsudheen Purat v. Qatar on 24 January 2019 at Oman Cricket Academy Ground Turf 1, Muscat.
Best individual bowling figures: 4/12, Hashim Sheikh v. Maldives on 28 September 2023 at West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha.
Most T20I runs for Saudi Arabia
Most T20I wickets for Saudi Arabia
T20I record versus other nations
Records complete to T20I #2293. Last updated 5 October 2023.
See also
List of Saudi Arabia Twenty20 International cricketers
References
External links
SaudiCricket
Exclusive: Saudi Arabia’s game-changing-plans for cricket in the Kingdom https://arab.news/4av6b
Cricket in Saudi Arabia
National cricket teams
Cricket
Saudi Arabia in international cricket